Question

Which of the following is/are listed within the responsibilities of Council of Architecture (CoA) as per the Architect's Act 1972?

• A. Maintaining minimum standards of architectural education in India.
• B. Maintaining standards for professional conduct of registered architects.
• C. Maintaining minimum standards for master plan preparation.
• D. Regulating building material standards for construction projects in India.

Hint:

The CoA under the Architects Act 1972 controls the architecture register: minimum education standards for registration, and professional conduct standards for registered architects; it has no role in master plans or material standards.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A, B

Step 1: Recall what the Architects Act 1972 set up the CoA to do.
The Architects Act 1972 is the law that created the Council of Architecture (CoA) as the statutory regulatory body for the architecture profession in India. Its two central jobs are keeping the "Register of Architects" and controlling who is legally allowed to use the title "Architect". To do this, it must set the minimum standard of education a person needs before being registered, and it must set out how a registered architect is expected to conduct their professional work.

Step 2: Check each option against these two central jobs.
Option (A), maintaining minimum standards of architectural education in India, is squarely one of the CoA's duties. It approves architecture schools and prescribes the minimum syllabus and qualification a person must complete before registering as an architect. So (A) is correct.
Option (B), maintaining standards for professional conduct of registered architects, is also a direct CoA duty. Under the Act, the CoA issues the Architects (Professional Conduct) Regulations, which set the code of conduct every registered architect must follow, and the CoA can act against architects who breach it. So (B) is correct.
Option (C), maintaining minimum standards for master plan preparation, is not a CoA function. Preparing and approving master plans (development plans) for cities is the job of town and country planning departments and development authorities, set up under separate town planning legislation, not the Architects Act. So (C) is wrong.
Option (D), regulating building material standards for construction projects, is also not a CoA function. Standards for building materials are the domain of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which publishes IS codes for materials and construction practice. The CoA has no role in fixing material standards. So (D) is wrong.

Final Answer:
Options (A) and (B) correctly describe CoA responsibilities under the Architects Act 1972. \[ \boxed{(A), (B)} \]